Thousands without a GP after surgery suspended

Thousands of patients have been left without a GP after a surgery in Essex was suspended over safety concerns.

The Hollies Surgery in Hadleigh, which serves about 12,800 people, has been closed since 31 October following concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC issued an "urgent suspension" of the registration of Dr Olusegun Olatokunbo Omosini at The Hollies the day before, to "prevent people being exposed to significant harm" at the surgery.

The local NHS board acknowledged the "frustration and uncertainty" caused to patients, and has said the surgery's phone lines will reopen at 08:00 GMT on Wednesday.

An interim team has been holding telephone consultations and working through a backlog of inquiries.

The surgery's website stated staff were doing "everything possible" to restore services.

The NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) told the BBC: "This is an ever-evolving, complex situation - we are in talks with our legal team on what else we are in a position to share."

A spokesperson continued: "There have been significant practical challenges which have slowed progress, including difficulties accessing the building."

The ICB said it had identified a new leadership team to take on a caretaker contract for The Hollies.

William Guy, the ICB's director of primary care, said he was expecting phone lines to be "busy initially" when they reopen, so asked people to be patient with staff at the practice.

"Face-to-face appointments are taking place at alternative local sites while work continues to reopen the practice building safely," he said.

He added that online consultations would carry on and patients' prescriptions were being processed, with these being prioritised according to need.

Vulnerable patients could get urgent care by calling 111, contacting local pharmacies or through home visits, he explained.

The CQC said it issued "warning notices" on Dr Omosini on 18 July for "failing to manage medicines safely and not having good governance systems in place to ensure people were safe from harm" at The Hollies.

Jane Sales, a patient for nearly four decades, said: "It's a sad state of affairs. People could be put in danger waiting for proper services to resume."

Andrea Kirk, who lives in Hadleigh and has been a patient at The Hollies for seven years, said: "Now we have no GP and people who need to see a GP have nowhere to turn to."